Picking Up The Pieces
by Trillian Astra
Summary: SPOILERS FOR 2.13 "EXIT WOUNDS". In the aftermath of the season two finale, Jack's a recluse and Gwen and Ianto are swamped trying to run Torchwood by themselves. Please read and review! Standard disclaimer applies.
1. Collapse

A/N: It's a week after "Exit Wounds", and the team are struggling

**A/N: ****It's a week after "Exit Wounds", and the team are struggling. Jack's become a recluse and is refusing to let Gwen or Ianto near him, and at the same time the only two functioning team members are swamped trying to keep up with their work. And Rhys is (even more) annoyed with Gwen for spending so much time at work. Unable to cope, Gwen calls in Martha, hoping that she will be able to help Jack. Or at least persuade him to let her into the room. Gray's actions have changed the team forever… but will they be able to pick themselves up from this?**

**Spoilers****: Season 2 up to AND INCLUDING 2.13, "Exit Wounds". **

**Warnings****: Mention of character death. Scenes as-yet-unwritten may feature swearing. I'll warn you about that when I get to it.**

**Read and Review, please!**

**Picking Up The Pieces**

It had been a week. One long week since Cardiff – and Torchwood – were decimated. Jack had withdrawn into himself, avoiding Gwen and Ianto's attempts to talk to him. He would leave occasionally, grimfaced and silent, before returning a few hours later. He didn't tell them where he was going… but a few times they followed him. He spent the time just walking around the city, mostly. They had a theory that he was trying to atone for the attack on the city that he was supposed to be protecting.

The city was actually recovering remarkably well. Gwen's actions – taking command of the police temporarily, and making sure that every officer was out looking after people – had helped. The fires were extinguished, the rubble was being cleared and the injured were being cared for. The city was beginning to heal itself.

Torchwood, however, was in a much worse state. Jack refused to see or talk to either Gwen or Ianto. He stopped doing the ordinary, day-to-day things that he was supposed to do. The only thing he did, without fail, was attend the memorial services and funerals for those killed in the explosions. He always stood at the back of the venue, and he never spoke to any of the mourners.

Gwen and Ianto were left to pick up the pieces by themselves. A week ago, when Tosh had breathed her last in Jack's arms, Gwen had said that she didn't think she could carry on. Jack had reassured her, and it was that reassurance that helped her keep going.

And it was hard work. Two people doing work that should have kept five people very busy was an equation that was never going to end well. They had to keep going with their usual work, repair the damage from the attack, keep one eye open for new alien-related problems, _and_ try to look after Jack at the same time. Remarkably, they were actually managing the first three. Well, neither of them had slept properly all week, they were living off pizza (which was usually cold by the time they managed to eat it), and Gwen had barely seen Rhys. If she had to guess, she'd say that she'd probably seen him for about ten minutes. In total. And most of that had been Rhys moaning at her, the usual complaints about her spending too much time at work. But she had barely thought about Rhys all week. She had too much else to do

Ianto… well, where Gwen was more concerned about the city, Ianto was more concerned about Jack. Every morning he knocked on the door of Jack's office, trying to talk to him.

Every morning he was told, in no uncertain terms, to go away. But he kept trying. He had started leaving mugs of coffee and plates of food outside the door, but the drinks and the food always just sat there, growing steadily colder, ignored. Ianto didn't have the heart to throw them away, so each night when he was elsewhere Gwen would go up and retrieve that day's plate and mugs, and quietly dispose of the contents in the kitchen.

After a week, Gwen sat down with Ianto in the Boardroom.

"We can't go on like this. Just filling in and trying to do as much as we can. It won't work and eventually one or both of us is going to have a nervous breakdown."

"I know. But what else are we supposed to do? It's just us now. Jack's useless, we can't rely on him any more."

"But if we could find a way to help him, then it would be three instead of two, and the other million things we need to do would get a bit easier."

"Great idea, Gwen. How are we supposed to help someone who won't even talk to us?"

"I had an idea about that. We need someone who knows Jack better than we do."

"Are you suggesting we get Captain John to help?"

"No. I'm suggesting we call Martha. She's his friend, she might be able to talk to him. She might be able to do what we can't and get him out of his shell."

"And if she can't?"  
"If she can't… maybe she'll be able to contact that Doctor that Jack talks about."

"That's a lot of ifs."

"I know."

"But we can't really do anything else, can we?"

"Not really."

"Okay then. Do you want to make the call or shall I?"

"I will."

Gwen found Martha's mobile number on the computer database, and quickly dialled.

"Hello?"

"Martha? It's Gwen Cooper, from Torchwood."

"Oh, yeah. How can I help?"

"Um, I need to ask a favour. It's a big favour."  
"What?" Martha sounded worried.

"Did you see anything on the news about Cardiff last week?"

"Yeah, there were these explosions, right? Was that something to do with you guys?"

"Yeah. Yes, it was. Uh… I don't know how to say this… the explosions were set by Jack's brother…"

"His _what_?"

"His brother. I didn't know either. But anyway, two of us died, and it hit Jack really hard. He doesn't talk to anyone any more, he hardly leaves his office and if he's eaten recently he hasn't done it while I've been here. We're swamped here, and we really need him. I'm pretty sure he needs us too, but he won't let us near him."

"Gwen… who died?"

Gwen swallowed hard. "Owen. And Tosh."

"I'm sorry."

"Can you get down here?"

"Yeah, I can take time off from work, but I don't know what I can do."

"You're his friend. You might be able to get through to him."

"Oh, god… sure. I'll get on a train tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Martha."

"No problem. Still don't think I'll be able to help much, but I suppose it's worth a shot."

"Uh… there's something else."

"What?"

"You travelled with the Doctor, right?"

"Ye-es…"

"Do you have any way of contacting him?"

"Why?"

"If you can't help Jack, I thought maybe the Doctor might be able to."

Gwen heard Martha take a deep breath. "Yeah. I can contact him, if it's an emergency."

"Well, I think this qualifies as an emergency."

"Okay, Gwen, I'll come down. I'll try and talk to Jack. But I decide when, and if, it's necessary to contact the Doctor, okay?"

"Fine."

"Okay. I'll call you when I get to Cardiff Station."

"Bye."


	2. Conversations

A/N: Part Two

**A/N:**** Part Two! This chapter is basically two conversations. The first is Jack and Gwen, and offers a glimpse of what's going on in Jack's head. The second is Ianto and Martha, talking about Gray, and Jack, and love. **

**Standard Disclaimer applies. Same spoiler warnings as Part One**

**Please review!**

The next day, Martha called Gwen as her train was about to arrive. At the time Gwen was busy, so Ianto took the SUV to the station to pick her up. Not long after he had left, Gwen finished her (current) work, and sat back in her chair for a moment. Her gaze fell on the door of Jack's office, where he was still refusing all contact, and she headed up the stairs. She knocked on the door softly. "Jack?"

"Go away." He was sitting in his chair, facing away from the door.

"Jack, can I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Say what you need to say and get out."

She stepped inside, pushing the door shut behind her. "Uh… we need you, Jack. Ianto and I are trying to keep going, but we can't. There's just too much. I know you're grieving, but we are too, you know. Only we don't have the luxury of locking ourselves away, because there's work to do. We've had to deal with our grief and get on with it. I know how you feel, but you need to stop hiding away in here and start living your life again."

"You know how I feel?" He got up and turned to face her. "_You_ know how _I_ feel? You have no idea how I feel, Gwen. It wasn't your brother who just destroyed half the city and killed two of your best friends because of you, was it? You have _no idea_ what I'm feeling at the moment. If that's all you have to say, you can get out."

"Okay. Yeah, there are a lot of things about you that I don't know. But I do know that locking yourself up and refusing to talk to us is not going to bring anyone back and it's certainly not going to help!"

"Just go, Gwen. I didn't ask you to stay anyway. Go and be with Rhys, go and do whatever you want. Just get out."

"No!" She stepped closer and slapped him, hard. "No, I am not going anywhere, Jack, and neither is Ianto. We're both worried about you. We're trying to help you but you won't let us."

"You can't help me."

"Actually, I thought that might be the case. So I made a call to someone who might be able to."

"Who?"

"I called Martha yesterday. She's on her way down here right now."

"Why her?"

"She's your friend. She travelled with you and that Doctor of yours. She knows you better than we do."

"When did you say you called her?"

"Yesterday afternoon. Ianto's gone to get her from the station. She'll be here in half an hour. Why?"

"Just wanted to know how much time I had to work out how to tell her to get lost as well."

"Jack. We're trying to help. Stop pushing us away." She opened the door to leave, but turned back to look at him for a second. "You can get through this, Jack."

He didn't reply, and she walked away. She felt tears welling in her eyes as she sat down at her desk.

While Gwen was trying, and failing, to reason with Jack, Ianto was driving to the station to pick up Martha. He parked the SUV outside the station building, and looked at his watch. Martha's train wasn't due for another ten minutes. He sat in the car for a while, thinking. Or, rather, he was trying not to think, because these days thinking meant thinking about Owen, or Toshiko, or Gray, or what the ordeal of last week had done to Jack. He had spent the week trying to think about anything _but_ what had happened. He had thrown himself into work, trying to keep Torchwood running and maintain some semblance of normality. It didn't help. He would be working on something, and think _Owen would know that_ or _I'll get Tosh to look at that_, and then the fact of their absence, their eternal, definite, unchangeable _absence_ would hit him like a blow to the chest, and he'd have to fight back the tears yet again.

It had been a week, and he had found only one thing that helped. He had started keeping a small hipflask in his pocket, filled with Scotch. He would take a drink when he felt like he couldn't cope, and then the memories and the pain would go away for a few more hours. Each night, he drank several glasses of the same Scotch just to be able to grab a few hours of dreamless sleep before getting up at five to get back to work.

He reflected, somewhat bitterly, that the three survivors all had their own ways of making the pain go away. Jack hid himself away in his office. Gwen threw herself into her work. Ianto had a bottle of Scotch.

He looked at his watch again. Martha's train should have arrived by now. He got out of the car and went to find her. The train from London had pulled into platform one, and he arrived just in time to see her step off the train, a bag hanging from one shoulder.

"Ianto!" She hurried over to him, and immediately hugged him. "Gwen told me what happened. I'm really sorry. It must be hard for you."

"It is. Come on, the SUV is outside." They walked outside, and got into the car, and Ianto started the drive back to the Hub. For the first few minutes, neither of them spoke. Martha looked at him, and broke the silence.

"Um… Gwen said it was Jack's brother who did… everything. I didn't even know he had a brother."

"His name is Gray. They were separated as children. Apparently Gray was tortured…. John said he found him chained to a ruined fortress, surrounded by corpses. He was mad. He… he said he wanted to destroy Jack's life from the inside out."

Martha stared at him. "Why?"

"He blames Jack for what he went through. Jack's the older brother… I think he was meant to be looking after Gray when they were children, and they got separated."

"But they were just kids… Jack was just a kid."

"Gray's insane, Martha. I don't think he particularly cares about distinctions like that."

"Wait a minute… he's still alive?"

"Jack put him in the deep-freeze."

"Oh. Right. Um… how is Jack?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"He won't talk to me. We've been trying to get him to communicate with us all week. He won't talk to us. He barely leaves his office. I leave him food and coffee, but he never eats it. Gwen clears it away and thinks I don't notice, but I do."

"I… Gwen said he was isolating himself… I thought she was exaggerating, oh god, I thought she was exaggerating… is it really that bad?"

"Yes. It's really that bad. Worse, probably."

"I might have to make that call after all."

"What call?"

"Gwen suggested that we get the Doctor involved. I wasn't sure… but we might need him. The three of us might not be enough."

"You know Jack better than we do. You're probably right."

"What makes you say that? You and he are…"

"He doesn't confide in me. We have a _thing_, but mostly it's a physical thing."

"Really?"  
"It's Jack. When I'm with him it's amazing, but he doesn't confide in me. He tells me anecdotes, funny stories, things like that. But he doesn't tell me how he feels. He doesn't tell anyone how he feels."

"You love him, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you don't know how he feels about you?"

"I thought I did."

"I think I know how you feel… there was someone I was in love with. He didn't even see it."

"Did you tell him?"

"I couldn't. I haven't seen him for a while, now. I have no idea where he is. But I've got Tom, now, so I'm okay."


	3. Confrontation

A/N: Part Three

**A/N:**** Part Three. This one is Martha and Jack's conversation, plus a teeny little cliffhanger at the end. There's some very, very light swearing in this part.**

**(I decided, while listening to a Johnny Cash album, that the (Un)Official Theme Song for this story is Hurt, originally by Nine Inch Nails but covered just **_**beautifully**_** by the Man In Black. It just fits what I imagine to be Jack's mindset far too well to pass up on.) **

Martha Jones, UNIT medical officer, stood on the walkway outside Jack's office, and took a deep breath. And another one. And then another one after that. She'd seen a lot with the Doctor, and UNIT had given her training for just about every possible eventuality.

Well, almost every eventuality. They'd apparently forgotten to teach her how to talk to a guy from the 51st century, who can't die, and who is currently mired in the depths of depression, much less how to counsel such a person and get them back to some kind of functioning state.

Gwen had given her an encouraging smile – at least, Gwen had meant it to be encouraging. It had actually come across as pleading and desperate, but Martha wasn't going to hold that against her. Ianto hadn't said anything, he'd just looked at her. But then he had told her everything she needed to know in the car on the way to the Hub. Martha took one final deep breath, and knocked on the door, before pushing it open slowly.

"Jack? It's me, Martha. Gwen called me."

"I know."

"She's worried about you."

"She shouldn't be. I told her not to. I told her to go home but she's just so damn stubborn."

"Isn't that why you hired her?"

He looked up at her, and she saw guilt and sadness in his eyes. "Yeah. I guess. Why did you come, Martha?"

"I was worried about you."

"You could have phoned."  
"Would you have answered?"

"Probably not."

"You can talk to me, Jack. That's why I'm here. You talk, tell me exactly what you feel, what you're thinking, and I'll listen. I'll help you get through this. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but we can do this."

"Martha… have you seen him lately?"  
"Him… the Doctor? No. Not lately. Why?"

"I just wondered."

She found a chair and sat down. "Now. Talk to me, Jack."

He took a deep breath. "I'll try."  
"That's a start. Why won't you talk to your team?"

"I can't. I can't even look at them without thinking about Toshiko and Owen. I keep thinking that one day, I'll get Gwen and Ianto killed as well. That's what happens. I get close to someone, and eventually they die and I keep going. I always keep going."

"You didn't kill them, Jack."

"No, my brother did. Do you know why Gray did what he did?"

"Why?"

"_Because of me_. We were children… they attacked us… the last words my father ever said to me were "Take Gray. Keep him safe." We were running, trying to reach safety, and _I let go of his hand_. I let go of his hand and he got lost, and then those _things_ found him and tortured him and made him what he is now and _it is all my fault!_"

"No, Jack. It isn't. You were just a child as well. You can't blame yourself for what happened to Gray."

"I don't have anyone else to blame."

"Maybe having someone to blame isn't what you need."

"Then what _do_ I need?"

"I don't know."

"I do. I need there to be someone, just one person in my life, who isn't going to go away. Someone who won't leave me." He looked up at Martha. "And that can't be you, or Gwen, or Ianto. I wish it could be but it can't. There isn't anyone like that. It's impossible. I'm on my own. Forever. So I might as well get used to it. Can you give me a minute, Martha?"

"Okay. I'll be outside."

She quietly got up and left. Outside his office, she found Gwen sitting on the stairs.

"Were you listening?"

"Can't. The office is soundproofed. Special glass or something. I just couldn't concentrate on work… thought I'd wait until you came out. How is he?"

Martha sat down on the step next to her. "Not good."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"Yeah. He's afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of getting you and Ianto killed as well. He said that everyone he's been close to has died, and he's always been the one that keeps going. He said he's going to be alone forever, and he might as well get used to it."

"Shit. That really isn't good."

"I know. But I don't know how to talk to him… I've got no experience with anything like this, I don't know what to say."

"Isn't there _anything_ you can think of?"

"There is something. Jack mentioned it, actually. I asked what he needed, and he said he needed to have just one person in his life who wasn't going to go away. He said it was impossible, but it isn't."

"Martha, what are you talking about?"

She sighed. "I thought we'd be able to help without resorting to this… but I need to call the Doctor."

**A/N:**** There you go, then. Next chapter, the Doctor shows up. Probably with Donna in tow, just for kicks. Next chapter might be the last one… or there might be a epilogue-type chapter afterwards. I don't know. We'll see. **

**(Please don't forget that little Review button!)**


	4. Comfort Part One

A/N: Part Four

**A/N:**** Part Four. The Doctor's arrival. This part has a tiny bit of swearing - very mild, though. Nothing to worry about **

**Standard disclaimer applies. Please review!**

In the console room of the TARDIS, an ordinary-looking mobile phone started ringing. Donna picked it up, curiously, and saw "Martha" on the Caller ID. She pressed the Accept key and held the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Who is this?"

"Donna Noble. Who's this?"

"My name is Martha Jones. This number is for a phone I gave to the Doctor, and I'd like to speak to him. Now, please."

"All right, all right. I'll get him." She shouted. "DOCTOR!" and waited a moment until he appeared.

"What now, Donna?"

"Your phone was ringing."

He looked confused. "I don't have a phone."

"Uh, yeah, you do." She held up the mobile. "It's Martha, she says she needs to talk to you."

"Well why didn't you say so before?" He ran over, taking the phone from her. "Martha? What's wrong?"

"Doctor, how soon could you get to Cardiff?"

"Why?"

"We've got a bit of a problem here."

"Can't Jack sort it?"

"Well… no. Um, Jack _is_ the problem."  
The Doctor sighed. "What's he done now?"

"It's not what he's done. His brother found him, and destroyed half the city. Two of Jack's team died. Jack thinks it's his fault. He's stopped doing everything, he barely talks to us." A beat. "I tried to help him. But I didn't know what to say."

"Right." Holding the phone in one hand, he started to enter the coordinates for Cardiff. "I'm setting the coordinates now. Give me a few minutes."

Five minutes later, the TARDIS materialised in Roald Dahl Plass, near the water tower but _not_ on top of the lift that went down into the Hub. As he and Donna left, the Doctor saw Martha and a young, dark-haired woman he didn't recognise, standing by the tower.

"Doctor. Thanks for coming."

"I did say I'd come if you rang."

"Yeah, you did. Anyway, this is Gwen. She works with Jack, she's the one who called me in. Gwen, this is the Doctor."

"Uh… hi. So… you're Jack's Doctor?"

"Well, I'm not exclusively _his_, but I suppose so. Why, does he talk about me?"

He was surprised when, completely out of the blue, the young Welshwoman slapped him. Hard. "What was that for?!"

"Last year, Jack disappeared. He ran out and left us alone, because he had gone off with _you_, doing god-knows-what while we got sent on a wild-goose chase to the bloody _Himalayas_. I've been wanting to give you a good slap since he came back."

"What?..." a look of realisation dawned on the Doctor's face. "Ohhh… that. Right. Yes. I did wonder what that comment meant. Um… is it too late to say sorry?"

Gwen gaped at him, thinking that this tall, lanky man in front of her, who Martha swore was actually an alien but definitely _not_ one that was a danger to them, was actually trying to apologise to her.

"Er… no, I suppose not. But if you really want to try and make things better, you can help Jack get through this."

"Now, that sounds like a plan. And I need someone to tell me exactly what happened here."

Half an hour later, Martha, Donna, the Doctor, Gwen and Ianto were gathered in the Boardroom, and Gwen had just finished explaining what had happened the previous week. "So, Doctor. Do you think you'll be able to talk to him."

He nodded seriously. "Yes."

"Would you like us with you, or do you want to talk to him alone?"

"Uh…" the Doctor looked around at the others. "I think it should just be us, at least to start. If you're needed, I'll yell. And don't hang around outside his office, either. Just stay in here, or get on with something, or go for a walk. No eavesdropping, and Martha that includes you. Donna… maybe Gwen or Ianto here could get you a drink and keep you company."

"Yeah… whatever."

"Right." He took a deep breath. He actually looked nervous. "I'll see you later, then."

The Doctor left them sitting around the table, and walked to Jack's office. Unlike Gwen and Martha, he didn't bother knocking, and just pushed on the door… which was locked. Sighing, he unlocked it with the sonic screwdriver and opened the door anyway. Jack was sitting on the floor in the far corner, with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his arms.

"Jack?"

The captain looked up… and the Doctor could see he looked awful (by Jack's standards, anyway). His eyes were red, and he looked so much older than he normally did. He hadn't changed his clothes since the week before, either.

"Doctor?"

Feigning cheerfulness, the Doctor sat on the edge of Jack's desk. "Thought I'd drop by for a visit. Then your team told me something had happened, and I thought I'd see how you are."

Jack looked sceptical. "You never "drop by for a visit". Ever. And you really shouldn't play poker while you've still got that face."

"Oh, damn, you saw through it. Yeah, Martha called me."

"What? How?"

"Before she left, after we dropped you off… she gave me a mobile phone. I'm contactable now."

Jack smiled weakly. "Good for her."

"Anyway, you are avoiding the issue. They told me what happened, Jack. I know about your brother, and the friends that you lost."

"They told you everything?"

"_Yes_. Including the part where you let yourself get buried alive for two thousand years as penance for something that wasn't exactly your fault in the first place."

"You weren't there. Neither were they. None of you know what happened that day. I let go, and my little brother got tortured. I was meant to be looking after him and I let that happen to him."

The Doctor looked thoughtful. "Jack… do you know the date of what happened? And the rough coordinates?"

"Of course I do. I'm not likely to forget, am I?"

"Good. I've got an idea."

**A/N:**** Ooh, cliffhanger! Next chapter will reveal the Doctor's idea. It's neat, you'll like it.**

**Stay tuned!**


	5. Comfort Part Two

A/N: Part Five

**A/N:**** Part Five! The second part of "Comfort". This is where the Doctor's idea happens… It's got some nice Jack-Doctor interaction, too. Some bits are even faintly amusing. At least I think so, but what do I know?**

**A warning: This chapter (especially the second half) is unashamedly Jack/Doctor. Because in terms of 'ships, I happen to really like that pairing. And they are so very, very good-looking together. There's a bit of kissing but nothing more than that. If you don't like m/m kissing… well, why are you reading TW fanfic? **

**Standard Disclaimer applies. Please review.**

"Doctor…"

"Jack, please just trust me on this. The TARDIS is in the square, and we need to get there."  
"What are you doing, Doctor?"

"Seriously, all will be revealed. Just stop asking questions and _move_, Harkness."

Frowning, Jack got to his feet, and followed the Doctor out. The Time Lord was about to go out the long way, until Jack caught his attention. "Uh… Doctor… if it's really that urgent, we can go the quick way."

"There's a quick way?"

Jack went over to what looked like a large paving stone raised above the floor, and stood on it. The Doctor shrugged and stepped onto the stone as well. Then Jack pressed a button on his wrist-computer and the stone rose off the ground.

"Er… Jack?"

"It's a lift."

"Right." When they emerged onto ground-level, the Doctor realised that there was a perception filter on the stone they were standing on.

"_Jack_…."

"It's an invisible lift."

"Oh, like that answers anything… now, come on." He ran towards the TARDIS, and when they were both inside he went to the console. "What're the coordinates?"  
"Doctor, are you about to do what I think you're about to do?"

"I don't know, what do you think I'm about to do?"  
"Well, I'd say you were planning to go to the day I lost my brother. And I'm not giving you those coordinates, if that's the case."

"Damn. That is what I was planning." He stepped closer to Jack. "And I'm sorry, but I don't necessarily need you to tell me." He put one hand on either side of Jack's head.

"Doctor, no… aargh!" If the Doctor hadn't been holding him, Jack would have collapsed.

"Sorry, Jack. This has to be done."

A moment later, the Doctor had found the coordinates he needed in Jack's memory. When he had finished, he released Jack… who then fainted. The Doctor got him over to the seat, and got him lying down, and then went to enter the coordinates.

The movement of the TARDIS woke Jack up, and when they had stopped moving he sat up. "Why? Why did you do that?"

"I came to Cardiff to help you, Jack." He noticed that the Doctor was being very careful not to look at him. "I need to show you that you're not responsible for what happened, and this is the best way to do that."

"I didn't want you snooping around in my head!"

"You weren't cooperating. I had to do something. Come on, or we'll miss the right time."

Glaring at the Doctor, Jack followed him out. They were on a ridge, overlooking the Boeshani village where Jack had grown up. Normally there would have been children playing, and adults working in the fields, but not today. Today those who could were fleeing for their lives, as an army of the most horrible creatures in the universe advanced. The fleeing villagers ran past Jack and the Doctor – they were close enough that Jack could recognise the faces of relatives, neighbours and childhood friends that he had not seen since. As they ran past, he felt tears run down his cheeks.

"Can't we do something? Can't we help?"

"Sorry. This is a fixed point in the timeline. I can't intervene. I… I wish I could."

"Can we get on with this? Show me whatever you're meant to show me."

"Can you see yourself, Jack?"

"Yes. Gray and me… we're over there." Jack pointed to two boys, one smaller than the other, not far away.

"Do you see how close the army is?" Jack did. They looked closer than he remembered. They watched as the younger Jack and his brother ran, and one of the invaders started to gain on them. The creature pulled out some kind of weapon…

"Doctor…"  
"Shush. Just watch for now."

With tears now flowing openly, Jack turned back to watch. He saw the creature aim the weapon, and fire a dart attached to a thin cord. The dart hooked itself into Gray's clothing, and the little boy was yanked backwards, his hand being pulled away from his brother's. The older boy had not heard anything, and kept running until he found a good hiding place. It was not until he was about to climb into a cavity made by the roots of a tree that he realised his brother was gone… he looked around, calling his brother's name, but Gray was gone.

The Doctor turned away. When he saw that Jack was still watching, he touched his shoulder. "Jack… come on. Let's go."

Jack turned to face him, and the Doctor saw that he was crying. "Oh, Jack." He pulled him closer, hugging him. "Do you see now? There was nothing you could have done. It's not your fault. You did everything you could."

"Take us home, please."

The Doctor instructed the TARDIS to return them to the same time as when they had left. Jack was sitting on the bench-seat, looking at the floor. When the TARDIS arrived, the Doctor went over to him, sitting down next to him.

"Jack? Are you all right?"

He nodded. "I think so." He looked up at the Time Lord sitting next to him. "I'm all right."

"That's good. I'm sorry I did that… I know it must have been painful for you to see that again."

"Doctor… thank you."

"Eh?" The Time Lord was confused.

"Thank you for coming to Cardiff to help. Thank you for showing me what I needed to see. Thank you for being there when I needed you the most."

"Well, if you'd never met me you wouldn't be in this state in the first place."

"Doc, if I hadn't met you I'd've probably got myself killed a long time ago. An angry husband, probably."

"Or wife. Or parent."

He laughed. "Yeah, could be. So… thanks. Thanks for… I don't know… existing. Thanks for being in my life." Then, Jack did something he'd wanted to do for the better part of a century. He pulled the Doctor closer, and kissed him. He was a little surprised when the Doctor starting kissing back.

When they stopped, the Doctor exhaled slowly. "Erm…"

"It's okay. No strings, Doc."

"That's… not exactly it."  
Now it was Jack's turn to look confused. "Eh?"

"I don't know. It's complicated."

"Erm, okay. You know where I am, if you ever work it out."

"Jack…"

"What?"  
"When I got the coordinates from your memories… I saw something else."  
"Oh no." Jack suddenly went very red.

"Yeah…"

"Um… that was just fantasy. Pure imagination. No basis in reality at all." Jack saw the Doctor's expression. "Unless you… you know."

"Well.. maybe?"

They sat in very, very, very awkward silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to look at the other, both trying to think of what to say next. Jack got there first.

"Look, Doctor, I know the whole issue of me being a Fact makes things awkward. For you. But… well, to be honest I'd be happy just having you around. Just knowing that if I need you, you're there."

"You've got that already." The Doctor pointed out.

"No, I haven't. You came because Martha asked. She gave you a mobile – I don't even know the number for that phone. I'm in a difficult situation here. Everyone else I know, apart from you, is going to get old and die eventually. I need something constant in my life. Someone who's always going to be there for me."

"You need a constant?"

"Yeah. Someone who knows what it feels like."

The Doctor leant forwards and kissed Jack's forehead. "I can do that."

"What about the Fact issue?"

He shrugged. "It's like you said. It's just prejudice. I'll get over it."

"So, I get your number, and if I call you'll be around to help."  
"Sounds good. And I need to keep coming back to Cardiff for refuelling anyway."

"And if it develops into anything else, we let it happen? We don't fight it?"  
"That sounds pretty good too."

Jack looked at his watch. "How long have we been talking?"

"I left Martha and the others at about twelve…"  
"It's gone two."

"Right. We should get back, they'll be wondering about what's happened. And you need the number for this phone."

"Can't you tell me?"

"Er… Martha's got it. I couldn't find the number."

"I thought you were brilliant?"

"Oh, shut up, Harkness. By the way, that Welsh girl who works for you… Gwyn or something…"

"Gwen. What did she do?"  
"She slapped me. Apparently you didn't tell anyone where you were going when you left last time. She blames me."

"That sounds like Gwen. I'll have to talk to her."

"She slaps hard, too. Better than Jackie Tyler and Martha's mum put together."

Jack laughed, and kissed him again (very briefly) before they headed back into the Hub. The Doctor then went to talk to the others, while Jack went to clean up and change his clothes.

**A/N 2: **** Wasn't that a nice chapter? (hinthint- reviews, please) I'm thinking I might do one quick epilogue to tie up this story, and then move on to the sequel.**

**Ideas?**


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**Two Months Later**

Jack knew exactly how long it took him to get from the Hub up to the Plass. In the long century of waiting for the Doctor, he'd practised. A lot. The second he heard the familiar sound of a time-rending engine, he was on his feet and running.

Gwen – who he had been talking to immediately beforehand – watched him go. She knew better than to ask. After the Doctor's last visit, Jack had sat down with her, Ianto and Martha and explained a few things. Most of which had to do with his _very complicated_ relationship with the Doctor. As a result of The Talk, she knew that Jack running off like that meant that the Time Lord was back, and that there was no point asking things like "Where are you going?", "What are you doing?" or "When will you be back?".

Outside in the Plass, Jack used his key to get into the TARDIS, and almost bumped into the Doctor, who was just on his way out.

"Doc. What's up?"

"Oh, I am so glad you said that in that order…. Anyway, we need to refuel, and I thought a catch-up session might be necessary. Call it after-care, if you like."

"Wow, I get check-ups too?"

"Don't get any ideas. This is something I'm doing for you. I'm not going to become a GP for the whole of Torchwood."

"You're safe. We've got Martha for that."

"How is she getting on, actually?"  
"Good. I _think_ she likes it better than UNIT."

"Did they put up much of a fight when she left?"

"No… I did think that was odd." Jack saw the oddly satisfied look on the Doctor's face. "What did you do?"

"You know how she got the UNIT job, right?"

"The 'impeccable source'. I think Martha may have mentioned it. Nice of you to get them to ask me for a reference too, by the way.."

"Don't mention it. They wanted two references, who else could have done it?"

"What did you do, Doctor?"

"I told them she was needed at Torchwood, and they should let her go. That's all, I swear."

"Ri-ight."

"So… is there anything to do around here?"

"How long have you got?"  
"24 hours for the TARDIS to fuel up."

"Actually, things are pretty quiet… I suppose we could close up early and go to the pub."

"Jack, it's five-thirty. Isn't that a bit early to be drinking?"

"No. Why, have you got somewhere better to be?"

"Well, not as such, no. And I suppose Donna could do with a drink."

"Where is she, anyway?"

"Getting ready. I… don't know."  
"Don't worry. All human females take ages to get ready for, oh, everything. I think it's genetic, personally."

"I did wonder. Maybe your lot could come too."

"Good idea. I'll call them." Jack touched his comms headset. "Everyone? Finish what you're doing, get up here and lock the doors after yourselves. We're having an evening off."

Inside the Hub, Gwen, Martha and Ianto looked at each other, shrugged, and started putting on jackets and logging off from their computers.

They ended up visiting several bars. Well, actually they chose one and stayed there for a few hours, only leaving when the bar staff forced them out of the door. Martha wasn't sure, but she thought Jack and the Doctor's dancing – if it could be called that – might have had something to do with them getting kicked out. And the singing probably didn't help, either. After two more bars, the female half of the party decided it was time to go (Ianto agreed), and called a cab, which dropped each of them at their own flat (Donna was staying at Gwen's overnight).

Jack and the Doctor, though, stayed in bar number three for another three-quarters of an hour, before deciding to walk back to the Hub. Their route was meandering, to say the least – it wasn't far, but Jack seemed to have forgotten the way. When they eventually did get to Roald Dahl Plass, the entrance into the Hub itself was slightly problematic.

Next morning, Jack woke up in his bed with what felt like the worst hangover this side of the galaxy. He opened his eyes… and saw that there was someone else in the bed with him. Someone tall, and skinny, with (very) messy brown hair.

_Oh no_…. he thought. _We didn't, did we?_

The End

**A/N: ****That's all, folks! **

**But don't worry… the sequel is in production right now! I hope you've enjoyed this story as much as I liked writing it.**


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